Pony Car Wars Will Soon Heat Up

Stung by the success of the Ford Mustang and Chrysler 300, Chevrolet is
studying rear-drive cars. The brand could decide this year whether to
build more rwd vehicles.

"I think we probably will have more to talk about in the next several
months," says Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager.

The rwd Mustang, 300 and Dodge Magnum are selling well without cash
rebates. Ford expects to produce 192,000 Mustangs this year.

And Dodge is expected to resurrect the Challenger name for a rwd
Mustang-fighter around 2009.

With the exception of the Corvette, all Chevrolet cars have front-wheel
drive.

Asked at a press event here whether a rwd sedan, coupe or Chevrolet
Camaro-type vehicle are being considered, Peper said, "We are looking
at some of those segments right now."

Peper says he is not sure whether Chevrolet will have a rwd concept car
at the Detroit auto show in January.

"The ideas and the concepts are being talked about right now," he said.

General Motors was planning to introduce the first in a family of rwd
cars for North America in 2007. The vehicles were planned on a rwd
platform code-named Zeta. But the automaker's financial problems forced
it to cancel Zeta this year.

Yet GM insiders still expect the company to develop a range of rwd
cars, although the platform and timetable are unclear. Already in the
pipeline are the Pontiac Solstice, a rwd roadster coming this fall and
a sister car, the Saturn Sky, scheduled to arrive next spring. Both
were developed on the small rwd Kappa platform.

Chevrolet's last large high-volume rwd car was the Caprice, which was
scrapped after the 1996 model year. The sporty rwd Camaro was dropped
at the end of the 2002 model year.

Regarding the Mustang, Jim Campbell, Chevrolet car marketing director,
says: "I wake up every day knowing that I am spotting Ford 150,000 to
200,000 units.

"Do we want to take that head-on? Absolutely we do. There's an
opportunity for a rear-wheel-drive coupe."
---

Patrick
'93 Cobra
'03 Focus ZX3

wrote in news:1119928272.764418.27060
@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

> "Do we want to take that head-on? Absolutely we do. There's an
> opportunity for a rear-wheel-drive coupe."

Since economics dictate that soon Olds, Buick, and Pontiac will be gone,
where are their opportunities?

GM is the next in line for a Euro buyout. Chevy types who posture now just
sound pathetic.



--
"This space for rent."

wrote in news:1119928272.764418.27060
@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

> Stung by the success of the Ford Mustang and Chrysler 300, Chevrolet is
> studying rear-drive cars. The brand could decide this year whether to
> build more rwd vehicles.
>

> Regarding the Mustang, Jim Campbell, Chevrolet car marketing director,
> says: "I wake up every day knowing that I am spotting Ford 150,000 to
> 200,000 units.
>
> "Do we want to take that head-on? Absolutely we do. There's an
> opportunity for a rear-wheel-drive coupe."

He might want to look at what drove the camabird sales into the toilet in
the first place... forgetting the base car buyer and catering to boy-toy
muscle car buyers.

The smoke and and fire trans-am commercial was the signal of the death-
knell. Or pushing of the flush-handle, whatever

And, of course.. chicks REALLY dig a car that's styled like a Shark..
cause chicks dig dig sharks, right?

It's the Seccytary/Librarian buyer that subsidizing the muscle market you
idjits!

You know.. the one that doesnt want to lay smoke at lights but is a
little too bright to think "Cavaliers are 'Sporty'"

"Backyard Mechanic" > wrote in message
58...
> wrote in news:1119928272.764418.27060
> @f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:
>
>> Stung by the success of the Ford Mustang and Chrysler 300, Chevrolet is
>> studying rear-drive cars. The brand could decide this year whether to
>> build more rwd vehicles.
>>
>
>> Regarding the Mustang, Jim Campbell, Chevrolet car marketing director,
>> says: "I wake up every day knowing that I am spotting Ford 150,000 to
>> 200,000 units.
>>
>> "Do we want to take that head-on? Absolutely we do. There's an
>> opportunity for a rear-wheel-drive coupe."
>
> He might want to look at what drove the camabird sales into the toilet in
> the first place... forgetting the base car buyer and catering to boy-toy
> muscle car buyers.
>
> The smoke and and fire trans-am commercial was the signal of the death-
> knell. Or pushing of the flush-handle, whatever
>
> And, of course.. chicks REALLY dig a car that's styled like a Shark..
> cause chicks dig dig sharks, right?
>
> It's the Seccytary/Librarian buyer that subsidizing the muscle market you
> idjits!
>
> You know.. the one that doesnt want to lay smoke at lights but is a
> little too bright to think "Cavaliers are 'Sporty'"

Absolutely. The 2.3L kept the 5.0 on the road for years. Same today. Same
always. GM needs a new research division. And there's a thread here about
$100K Corvettes... wonder what the market is for that?

Brad